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Members help get Co-op Radio on the right track

Over 1,600 members joined in to tell us whether our in-store radio got them dancing down the aisles or just get their hackles up, as we set out to explore the future for Co-op radio.

Whilst around half our members professed to sing, hum, whistle or even boogie along whilst they did their shopping, Co-op radio is not, it turns out, music to everyone’s ears. Indeed, about 1 in 5 members indicated that they might be happier with a silent store.

Here’s what we learned:

In balance, members respond positively to background music, with it inspiring 48% to in-store ‘performances’ of one kind or another, and a further 26% saying that it’s just a ‘nice to have’.

Awareness of Co-op Radio was reasonably high – at 66% and opinion was overwhelmingly positive – 75%.

Members most wanted to hear music, in-store offers and promotions and information about our activities in the community when they were in store.

And the music they wanted to hear was pretty middle of the road – with ‘a bit of everything’, ‘pop’, and ‘easy listening’ topping the pops.

In the battle of tunes versus talk, tunes was triumphant – 70% agreeing that the balance should be tipped towards tunes.

And whilst the idea of a silent store commanded the support of some, it was not the choice of the majority.

We were interested to understand the reasoning behind some members’ responses – particularly around the idea of a silent store. Many members were keen for us to explore silent stores, since the radio made it more difficult for them to concentrate, hear conversations or relax. Others recoiled at the idea of silent stores, suggesting that, for them at least, in-store radio was key to us creating a ‘friendly, welcoming feeling’.

So it would seem that we’re unlikely to get to a position that everyone is happy with. But we think it’s quite likely that we can explore some options that might make our approach suit more members. In fact a number of members offered helpful suggestions that we’re actively looking into.

In October, for example, the Co-op supported the National Autistic Society’s Autism Hour – turning off in-store radio, as well as TV screens and tannoy announcements to make shopping easier for those with the condition. We’re continuing to looking into what changes we can make to our in-store radio programme to make shopping better for those in the community who find excess noise problematic.

A huge thanks to everyone who joined in – we’ll keep you posted with any further developments.

In the meantime, please head over to Join In to check out the opportunities for you to get involved with your Co-op right now.